FRAMED! (5/4/05)

From Inside Soap magazine:

Neil Manson faces a murder charge - can he prove his innocence before it's too late?

There's a race against time for DI Neil Manson this week, as he fights to clear his name in an episode of the police drama focused solely on his character. Already suspected of corruption by the National Crime Squad's Mickey Webb, Neil's efforts to prove he has been set up land him in yet deeper trouble. After being drugged, Neil awakes next to his dead informant, and is accused of murder!

"Neil has been away from Sun Hill while he struggled to save his marriage," reveals Andrew Lancel, who plays the accused cooper. "We see him being domestic and putting the baby to bed while still battling with his depression over the death of his lover Andrea Dunbar. Suddenly, this whole world of corruption literally lands on his doorstep. He finds himself coming round and waking up next to a body. He's covered in blood and, of course, all clues point to him being a murderer."

As the police close in, and Neil's unable to explain himself, DCI Jack Meadows is forced to arrest his own DI. "Neil is standing next to a dead body so Jack has to arrest him," continues Andrew. "It's very early on that Neil starts to realise something is amiss. But he can't got to his staff because he's not officially at work, he's not really getting on with his wife, his father-in-law is a paedophile and his lover is dead!"

Despite not entirely trusting each other, Jack and Neil both realise there are forces within the police that want to see Neil brought down. The pair formulate a plan to flush out the guilty party, but it means Neil is forced to risk his life. "Jack and Neil each have their own suspicions about who is behind it all," explains Andrew. "There is a question mark over Mickey Webb but there are question marks over everyone. Neil does take a big risk. It's make or break for him."

As Neil struggles to save his career and his life, Andrew was delighted to have an episode devoted to his character. "It's an honour to film The Bill anyway," says the actor, who previously appeared in Cardiac Arrest and Bad Girls, "But this has been great. It's like a mini film really, with car chases and all sorts." However, Andrew, who joined the show in December 2003, struggled to explain the appeal of the ambitious DI. "I don't know why people like him so much," confesses the 34-year-old actor. "But, Toddy Carty's character, Gabriel Kent, is hugely popular (Is he? - Ed) and he's a murderer!"